Jessie J and James Arthur at the Oxford Street switch on - on of the upmarket affairs (Image: Reuters)

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Olympians have gold medals as the highest accolade to get in their careers; actors have Oscars but what about stars of lesser fame? Stars booted out from reality shows? Back in 2008 I nearly won a reality TV award but lost out to a dancer from Britain’s Got Talent. What honour and prestige could someone kicked off this year’s X Factor In week six get? Have no fear, all is not lost as this time of year becomes a reality TV star wasteland up and down the country as local towns and cities need their Christmas lights switching on.

When boss man Simon Cowell tells the finalists that winning the X Factor will change their lives he isn’t talking about singing in coffee shops like a previous winner or even recording singles that lose out on the Christmas number one spot. He could easily be referring to pushing a button shaped like Jessie J’s head at the Oxford Street Christmas light switch on . Of course not every X Factor act is as lucky as James Arthur - Same Difference (The 2008 Jedward) are doing a tour of Christmas lights this year. Tour meaning Leeds and Glasgow.

For the agents it’s a quick cash in, they drive the act to the town, the act runs on stage sings a song that most people stood in the freezing cold will forget in minutes. The Act hangs around on stage until the big light switch on, pushes the button, waves, then jumps back into the car and onto a nightclub PA. Ridiculously easy money all around. But does it really help prolong the post-reality show fame? Luckily I made the jump from light switch on person to host of the switch on very quickly. The Risk (generic boy band from X Factor 2011) told me on stage in Wigan in November 2011 that their debut single was out in January the following year. It actually came out in January of this year and charted at number 60…

It can’t hurt to appear at a Christmas Light Switch on (unless they fall off the stage!) and for most reality stars that appear it will probably be the last time they are in front of any crowd. I see less and less Big Brother people doing it every year probably because they are too busy at home waiting for the phone to not ring. I’m baffled as to why nobody from Geordie Shore is switching on Newcastle Christmas Lights, after all the Geordie lot have done for the reputation of the city you’d think they would at least invite them to sweep the stage at the end.

Some reality stars manage to get a double crown and do both Christmas light switch ons and panto, but panto is saved for the truly elite stars, like Jackie Travers from this year’s Big Brother. You can catch her in Peterborough alongside Gary Hobbes from EastEnders starring in Beauty and the Beast (unsure which part she has got).

Christmas is a time of good will so the likelihood somebody will throw something at a reality star on stage is low (not too low).

My advice to future nobodies would be to phone your local council and offer your services and if they say no, that’s fine because it’s a word you’ll be hearing a lot of.